Salazar Slytherin was a shrewd, pessimistic young fellow with sharp silver eyes, olive skin and long dark hair that constantly fell into his face, obscuring it from view. His sister Serena was a lot like him in many ways. She had the same lean, tall frame as her brother, save more feminine, and the same colouring. Her demeanour was less refined and she was clearly the more open of the two. She had a tendency to hex anyone (other than Salazar) who called her Rose, or Rena. It was impossible to fathom why Salazar called her Rose, but it seemed to be an inside joke that no one could understand. They both had the same devil-may-care attitude, dry sense of humour and a disdainful view of those they considered 'whiney', which everyone understood. Their vampire side didn't show much, though as it was their grandfather who'd been one, it was understandable. However, they apparently had extremely quick reflexes, superb eyesight, especially at night, and an acute sense of hearing.

Helga was a warm, friendly girl, who, while optimistic, never looked at the world as though it was better than what it was. She was very good with children, and was the type of person who hated having nothing to do. She was very fond of her adoptive mother and 'sisters', who had raise her. However, she did feel sad on her birthday, which was when she had been abandoned by her birth parents. This was why she had been drinking alcohol when Godric had found her.

Godric had settled into the strange life quite easily. He got along well with everyone, and they all accepted him and liked him and his warm, cheerful personality. He had already made friends with the kind barman, Madam Hufflepuff and many of the battle mages and warriors who lived there. They were impressed by his skill and aptitude for strategy and he in turn was impressed by their uncommon tactics and unpredictable moves during duels and combats. He was a quick learner and picked up their tactics fast and incorporated it into his style.

The Atlanticans, as they called themselves, were very well trained indeed. There was a school that taught the children how to read and write, and also taught them mathematics, potions and magical theory. They were also taught history, geography and etiquette. Typically, Atlantican children started learning from the tender age of five or six, and continued their studies there every day until the school had taught them all it had to offer, which was usually once they turned thirteen. From then on, they only had to go once or twice a week. The rest of the days, they were expected to continue the practical magical training they had been given since they were eleven. They would learn the basics, along with the practical application of the core subjects, before specialising in one or two areas of their choice. Then, they joined the sections of the community that had use for their specialised subject. They could choose to work full time, or part time.

Helga, it seemed, had a natural affinity for herbology and healing. She had started, mastering her natural skill and refining it a few months ago. She had also revealed to Godric that he was not alone in being able to control an element of nature. It had only been a couple of days previously when he'd told them, the same night he'd found Helga drinking alcohol. It had been an enlightening conversation.

Flashback

"It was never home for me," Godric said suddenly, staring at his sword, which he was cleaning. Helga looked up, sticking her needle into the belt of the child's dress she was sewing to keep the stitches temporarily in place. Salazar glanced up from the book he was translating runes in and Serena just wore an expression that clearly said, 'Get on with it'.

"Godric's Hollow, I mean. I didn't leave because I was scared"- Godric snorted in contempt- "I left because I got tired of caring, of pretending that everything was fine, when it was not. I got tired of wondering what it would be like to just burn out my life, the memory of my very existence from everyone's minds"

Godric was interrupted by a sharp voice. "What do you mean by 'burn' your existence out of their minds?"

Godric looked at the person who said it. Unsurprisingly, it was Salazar, with his silver eyes narrowed at the redhead, his lips thinned. "That is a strange choice of words" The fourteen year old continued, still looking at him contemplatively. He could feel Helga's eyes boring into his head.

"You really meant it, didn't you?" Serena said suddenly, looking at him with her eyebrows raised. "You literally meant every word you just said, didn't you?"

Godric stretched out his arms, before folding them back and saying, "Of course". He smirked slightly, waiting for them to work it out. They all suddenly looked like a Lumos charm had been cast in their heads. Godric smiled a bitter-sweet smile. "You have no idea how hard it was, to hold myself back when all I wanted to do was let go, burn it all out, and leave, to live my own life. And now I have, but a lot of it wasn't on my own terms. They also still remember me, and are searching for me. I don't think I'd have left so quickly though, if what happened hadn't actually happened. Gryffindor blood, in all its literal nobility, runs through my veins after all."

"You stayed there as long as you did because you actually cared about them, the people who you knew would eventually stab you in the back," Salazar's voice was flat. "I find your endurance amazing"

"Me too," said Serena reverently. "I wouldn't last that long. Nineteen years, imagine, Sal!"

"I didn't," Godric turned around to meet Helga's eyes, which were now a golden brown. She smiled gently and sadly at him, suddenly looking much older and strangely, more beautiful, like a fallen angel. "Ten years, that's all it took- I ran"

She shifted in her seat, her hands clasped, the small, work-worn fingers entwined with each other. Her eyes were distant. "I was already so different; grown men had lusted after me ever since I gained control of my morphing. Children avoided me, I had no parents. To be able to control the very earth"- Godric's breath hitched- "it was too much. Not just for my young mind to comprehend, but for my magic to keep a strong hold on. It- I - caused an earthquake"- her voice trembled, her hands unclasped to grip the hem of her brown dress- "the village was levelled- so many people" – her hands let go of her dress in anguish, coming up to her mouth- "they were homeless. I"- her voice steadied now, the girl visibly regaining control- "I helped them rebuild it. Discreetly, of course. It brought me back some semblance of peace. I still think about it, though".

To think that Helga of all people would lose control of- suddenly it hit him. Helga could control the freaking earth.

Godric was just barely aware that his mouth was hanging open, and of Serena asking if he was fine. But- no it can't be. The book said- "That can't be!" it left his mouth before he could help it. He repeated it dumbly again. "It can't be!"

He sat up straighter and stared at Helga in the eyes. The fire was burning just a few feet away from the weird half circle they had formed. In the firelight, Serena's and Salazar's eyes seemed yellow and green respectively, like cats'. Helga still had the unfinished dress in her hand and Salazar's book had fallen to the ground, forgotten. The twins leapt down from the branch they were sitting down and crouched, looking at Godric expectantly. Salazar gave him the same flat look again. He spoke slowly, choosing each word carefully, keeping his eyes locked on Godric's.

"Yes it can," said Salazar, an odd look in his eyes. Unexpectedly, he raised his palm up and twisted it downwards towards the fire in a spiralling motion. Godric never forgot what happened next.

A deep, forest green tendril of magic trailed from Salazar's fingers, matching the colour of his irises, which held no trace of their usual silver hue. The magic pulsed and exploded- not into sparks as Godric had half-expected- but into sparkling droplets of water; clean, fresh water like showers of rain. Morphing themselves to fit the movement of the teen's fingers, the water droplets performed a fleeting, beautiful dance in the cool night air, spiralling and casting rainbows on the forest floor. Then, like a long silver scarf, the droplets twined themselves around Salazar's fingers and disappeared, with one last powerful pulse of magic.

Salazar's arm slowly dropped down to his side again, trembling. His eyes- silver again- were wide and almost childlike in their simultaneous vulnerability and defiance. His voice sounded once again through the haze surrounding Godric's mind. "You are not the only one who can manipulate Nature. You really aren't".

"I know that all the books say this isn't possible, but- but," Serena burst out, "this is happening, we don't know if there are others like us, at least we didn't until you came along, but then-" she continued babbling, her words mingling together until she realised that nobody understood what she was saying. Her shoulders slumped.

Godric's mind couldn't take it anymore. Everything was spinning... he felt so tired... the world he'd known had just been torn to shreds and he felt as though the only pieces of it left had just been incinerated, and their ashes Vanished into nothingness... as in into everything.

"Godric? Godric, focus..," the rational part of his mind latched on to whatever the unknown person was saying, and he forcefully pulled himself back to reality, and, painfully, opened his eyes.

Godric opened his eyes. He was in his room back at the inn. A ray of sunlight was seeping in from the gap between the drawn curtains, making his sensitive eyes burn. Ignoring the dull buzzing in his head, he pushed himself up and into a sitting position. Why did his neck ache so much?

At that moment, the door opened and Serena came in. She looked slightly paler than usual and her eyes were darting from this place to that, almost like those of a frightened deer's. A tray was resting in her outstretched arms, and she rushed to put it down when she saw that Godric was awake.

"You're awake!" something was off. Serena hardly ever stated the obvious. If he hadn't seen her absolute delight in the fact and her nervous fidgeting, he would have pointed it out with some slight amusement. As it was, he was concerned.

"What happened, Serena?" At that, her happiness seemed to melt off of her face, and she looked more worried than he'd ever seen her before. Her brows furrowed and she asked, slowly, "You don't remember?"

"No, I- " Godric paused as he was overcome by an onslaught of memories from the previous day. "Actually... I think I do"

The expression of relief on Serena's face was worth the confusion and emotional overload that came with the memories.